A middle-order batsman in the first-class format and also an opener in Twenty20 cricket, Awais Zia won a call-up to the national side for the first time in 2012, when he was picked in the T20 squad for the series against England in the UAE. By then, Zia had already spent four years on the domestic circuit and was with Rawalpindi at the time of selection. His T20 team, Rawalpindi Rams, made it to the final of the Faysal Bank T-20 Cup in 2011 and Awais delivered a fitting start to their chase of 181 - it ended in a 10-run defeat, but Awais smashed 32 in just 13 balls while opening the batting. That potential to make an impact at the top of the order won him his first international stint. ESPNcricinfo staff, February 2012